By Michael Mendis, TrackAlerts.com

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago – The 2009 staging of the Pan Am Junior Championships, like the Caribbean Games, could be cancelled in the twin-island republic.

Gary Hunte, Trinidad & Tobago’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, hinted the Pan Am Junior Championships is in danger of being called off because of the Influenza A H1N1 virus.

"We are looking at the situation," said Hunte when asked about the possible cancellation at a press conference recently. "We have been in contact with the ministry of health on the matter," he added while saying the Ministry of Health would be the department to decide on the Championships’ fate.

Over 45 countries, led by the United States and Jamaica, are down to attend the Championships, July 2 to August 2. This would be more athletes than expected for the Caribbean Games, which even dented the hopes more.

However, Hunte maintained, "no decision is yet to be made".

Last Friday, Hunte announced that because of the concerns over increase in the swine flu infections in the country the organisers cancelled the inaugural Caribbean Games.

Hunte said: “the participants, officials and guests of other countries could be a source additional infection to the population of Trinidad and Tobago.
In addition, the housing of athletes and officials could create an ideal environment for the transmission of the H1N1 virus”.

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